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Arizona signs 2 of nation's top women golfers

The University of Arizona women's golf head coach Todd McCorkle has announced that Natalie Gulbis and Nancy Abiecunas have signed letters of intent and will enroll at UA in the fall semester of 2000.

Gulbis hails from Citrus Heights, Calif., while Abiecunas is from Fort Collins, Colo.

"They are absolutely two of the top three or four players in the country," McCorkle said. "I am expecting both of them to make an immediate impact next fall."

Arizona will need both of these golfers to play at the top of their games right away due to the loss of All-American players Jill Gomric and Jenna Daniels to graduation.

"If you have freshman replacing these great seniors, these are the two freshman who you want replacing them," McCorkle said.

McCorkle has been recruiting Gulbis for over a year. Other than Arizona, she had considered signing with UCLA.

Last season, as a junior in high school, Gulbis won the national high school championships by 20 strokes.

She also was the youngest player in the history of the LPGA to qualify for an LPGA event, when she qualified for the Longs Drugs Classic at age 14.

"Natalie is a player who has medaled in amateur events against the top amateurs in the country," says McCorkle. "Her strength is that she is strong off the tee and very well disciplined."

Nancy was interested in signing with three other schools other than Arizona, including Texas, Stanford and Georgia. Though after two years of recruiting Gulbis, McCorkle finally got her to sign with UA.

Abiecunas, who is currently the third-ranked junior in the country, was an All-American the last two years and was runner-up at the 1999 United States Junior Championships.

She has won five AJGA tournaments, placed second six times and has 20 top ten finishes in her junior golf career.

"She is very consistent and makes few mistakes," McCorkle said. "She is a true leader."